To the uninitiated eater, mushrooms can be quite intimidating. Mushrooms are literally a fungus, and this can cause some people to get a little squeamish when it comes to eating mushrooms. However, once you get past its appearance, most find mushrooms to be a tasty and versatile vegetable that can make almost any meal even better. Not only do mushrooms taste great, but they also have a number of health benefits, and below you can discover 8 of the top mushroom health benefits.

1. Strengthen Your Immune System

Studies have shown that mushrooms can increase the efficiency of your immune system, helping you stay as healthy as possible. Mushrooms can activate microphages in your immune system that will improve your body’s ability to fight off foreign bodies and other serious illnesses. 

2. Mushrooms Lower Your Blood Pressure

Mushrooms are loaded with potassium, an incredibly vital nutrient that can help your body in a lot of different ways. One of the benefits of potassium is that it can lessen the tension your body exerts onto your blood vessels. In many cases, reducing the amount of tension on the blood vessels can help lower your blood pressure, improving your overall health.

3. Reduce the Impact of Sodium

Most people know that ingesting high levels of sodium can be harmful, but it can be tough to avoid salty products. If you are eating a lot of sodium-heavy products, the potassium found in mushrooms can help reduce the negative impact that sodium has on your body.

4. Substitute Mushrooms for Beef to Lose Weight

Mushrooms are an awesome beef substitute, providing a meaty texture and delicious taste. Studies have found that simply substituting 20% of the beef you consume for mushrooms can help you lose belly fat and lower your BMI.

5. Reduce the Risk of Metabolic Disorders

Mushrooms contain antioxidants, which are valuable tools in the fight against a variety of different diseases and disorders. Eating mushrooms will increase your antioxidant levels, which in turn can help you reduce the risk of metabolic disorders such as hypertension.

6. Heart Healthy

Mushrooms feature a wide variety of vitamins and minerals such as fiber, protein, antioxidants, thiamin, and more. The combination of all of these nutrients can help keep your heart healthy and possibly reduce the risk of heart disease.

7. Help Prevent Cancer

If cancer runs in your family, you want to do anything and everything possible to mitigate the risk of cancer. The vitamins and nutrients in mushrooms have been shown to help prevent cancer.

8. Fight Diabetes

Reduce the risk of developing diabetes by eating mushrooms. While there is no direct evidence that shows mushrooms reduce the chances of developing diabetes, the nutrients and vitamins certainly cannot hurt!

Delicious Mushroom Dishes at Puerto La Boca in Little Italy

Mushrooms are an amazing addition to any dish, and Puerto La Boca, an Argentinian restaurant in San Diego, offers quite a few dinner dishes with mushrooms. Enjoy all of the health benefits of mushrooms in dishes such as the Pechuga De Pollo Al Champignon, Lomo with Hongos Porcini, and the Champignones A La Provenzal at our beautiful Little Italy location.

Even if mushrooms did not have a single health benefit, the bold flavor and intriguing texture should be reason enough to enjoy the fantastic fungi. For more information about mushroom dishes at Puerto La Boca or if you would like to make a dinner reservation, contact Puerto La Boca today by calling (619) 234-4900.